Repeating attachment for talking-machines.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. A

. S. KERSHAW. REPEAT ING ATTACHMENT FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1905.

2 SHEETS-.SHEET 1.

y? 1M 5 Wm zNVENTOR I By W. M,

/6 4 ATTORNEY.

PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

S. KERSHAW. REPEATING ATTACHMENT FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 81, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

LZG lwvaifi 0 BY ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL KERSHAW, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOTHOMAS WARDELL, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS RE PEATING ATTACHMENT FORTALKING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL KERSHAW, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful ImprovementinRepeating Attachments for Talking-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to repeating attachments for talking-machines,such as phonographs and graphophones.

The object of this invention is to return the speaker or reproducerinstantly to the startingpoint of the record after each reproduction ofthe record until the motive power is exhausted or until the motor isstopped by the usual means in order to give a continuous reproduction ofa musical record to accompany dancing, marching, or other rhythmicalmovements of the body or limbs.

The improvement herein described allows the beginning and ending of thereproduction to be made at any desired points on the rec- -ord, so that,if desired, the usual announcement at the beginning of the record may beomitted in the repetition, or any desired part of the record may be usedalone.

Other devices which returnthe reproducer to the starting-point arecoin-controlled and do not repeat the record until another coin isplaced in the coin-slot or else occupy too much time in making suchreturn to allow of their being used for any purpose that requires apractically continuous performance. Such devices are usually a part ofthe machine and built into the same frame with the other parts, thewhole constituting as pecial machine capable of no other use.

The attachment herein described is easily separable from thetalking-machine and does not prevent the ordinary uses of the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, on two sheets, Figures 1 and 2 arerespectively a front elevation and a plan of a phonograph with myimproved attachment applied thereto; Fig. 3, a vertical transversesection on the line 3 3 in Fig. 7 of a part of the attachmentframe, theescapement, and the pinion rotary therewith; Fig. 4:, a left-endelevation of the phonograph and my attachment; Fig. 5, a front elevationof said attachment; Fig. 6, a vertical section on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5of the spring-winding spindle, showing a rightend elevation of the otherparts of the attach.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 31, 1905. Serial No. 243,556.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

ment; Fig. 7, a vertical section on the line 7 7 in Fig. 5 from front torear of said attachment; Fig. 8, a left-end elevation of the upper partof the phonograph and of the attachment, showing the reproducing-arm ofthe phonograph raised by the lifter; Fig. 9, the lifter, partly incentral longitudinal section, showing in plan the spindle, spring, andgear fast on the lifter; Fig. 10, a longitudinal vertical section on theline 10 10 in Fig. 11 of a part of the frame of the attachment, showingin rear elevation parts of the sliding bar and lever of the escapernent;Fig. 11, a vertical transverse section of a part of the attachment-frameon the line 11 11 in Fig. 5, showing parts of the escapement; Fig. 12, avertical section on the line 12 12 in Fig. 9 of the barrel and spindleand a left-end eleva tion of the lifter-spring.

The phonograph is represented as'having a mandrel A, provided with afast pulley (0, adapted to be connected by a belt a to any suitablemotor. The mandrel supports a record R and has a screw (4 the revolutionof which causes a diaphragm or reproducer B to travel lengthwise of saidrecord, said reproducer being secured to the reproducer-arm b of atubular carrier 6, which slides on a guiderod C and has another arm 5the free end of which supports anut Z2 which rests upon the screw 6&when the phonograph is in operation, the front or free end of thereproducer-arm being then supported by a straight edge D, which isparallel with the axis of the mandrel A and with the guide-rod O. Theabove-named parts are of the usual construction and operation.

To return the diaphragm or reproducer to the starting-point, the frontend of the reproducer-arm is lifted and pushed to the left in Figs. 1and. 2, the raising of said arm raising the nut 6 out of engagement withthe screw (0 and then replaced upon the straight edge D, causing saidnut to rengage said screw.

To return the diaphragm to the startingpoint, I use a spring E orequivalent device, the same being represented as a spiral springconnecting the carrier Z1 with a part of the phonograph-frame at theleft of said carrier, so that said spring is stretched by the feedmovement of the carrier and draws said carrier back in a second or lesstime, when the reproducer-arm is raised and supported, as hereinafterdescribed.

It is important that the carrier should return to the exact pointdesired in order that the reproducing-point of the diaphragm may engageexactly the beginning of the record or the beginning of the part to berepeated. I

use a stop, which may be a collar F, surrounding the guide-rod C andheld at any desired point by a radial set-screw j, which turns in saidcollar against said rod, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but I prefer to usean armor post f, supported on the frame G of the attachment, Fig. 2, inwhich post turns a horizontal screw F, the point of which carries abuffer), of felt, leather, rubber, or similar material, against whichthe reproducer-arm Z) may strike in the return movement of the carrier5, the last-named device being more easily and accurately adjustable andbeing removable with said attachment-frame. The frame Gr of theattachment consists of two posts g g, connected by a suitable base 9When the attachment is in use, it may be secured to the base H or frameof the phonograph in any convenient manner. In Figs. 1, 2, 4:, and 8 theframe G is represented as provided with arms g g, each of which extendsto the back of the base H and has two upward projections g", arranged ata suitable distance apart to receive between them said base H, so thatthe weight of the phonograph will hold the attachment steadily in placeon the table Z or top of the motor-case I. A horizontal spindle J isjournaled in the posts 9 g and may be turned by grasping and turning amilled head 1' secured thereto.

The lifter, which raises the reproducer at the end of the reproductionand disengages the nut from the screw, comprises a barrel or hollowcylinder K, rotary on the spindle J, a helical spring 76, arranged insaid barrel and having one end secured to said barrel at is, and havingat the other end a hook which engages a projection j on the side of thespindle J. The spindle J, Figs. 9 and 12, passes through central holesif It in heads is of the barrel K, the head is nearest the head having aradial slot 70 to allow the projection j to pass through said head 70and engage the hook 70 When the spindle is turned to wind up the springk, said spindle is prevented from turning in the opposite direction byaspringretaining pawl 7' on the post g, which engages a ratchet-wheelfast on said spindle. The barrel K is long enough to fill the spacebetween the posts g g without binding. The barrel K is provided with aplurality (four are shown) of rests 70*, arranged at equal angularintervals from each other, each having a straight edge or surface, onwhich an extension N (hereinafter described) of the reproducer-arm b mayslide to the starting-point when said arm is raised. These rests arerepresented as each formed of a single wire, the body of which isparallel with the axis of said cylinder, the end portions of said wirebeing bent at right angles at W 70 and driven radially into the heads 1070 of the barrel K. A gear is is fast on the barrel K, concentricallytherewith, and engages a pinion Z, which turns on a horizontal stud Z,secured to the post 9. Rotary with the pinion Z is a spider L, having asmany arms Z as there are rests it on said barrel, said arms Z being ofan even number and the opposite arms lying in the same plane with eachother, but in a different plane from the next arms, or, at least, thefree ends of successive arms lie in two different planes, the alternatefree ends in the same plane. The unwinding of the spring it tends toturn the cylinder K, gear in, pinion Z, and spiderL in the directionsindicated by adjacent arrows.

A bar M is arranged to slide on studs or screws m, which pass throughslots m in said bar into the posts 9 g, the length of said slotslimiting the movement of said bar. Said bar M is provided with a notch mon its upper edge of a width and depth sufficient to allow the free endof one of said arms Z to pass freely through said notch, and the slidingof said bar in one direction brings said notch into position to allowthe arms Z of one plane to pass down through it; but immediately afterone of said arms passes through said notch the next-following arm beingin another plane strikes the top of said bar outside of said notch andprevents the further rotation of said spider and of the pinion, gear kand barrel K. When said bar M is pushed in the other direction, the armresting on said bar passes down through said notch and the following armstrikes on the top of said bar. As represented, the pinion Zhas half asmany teeth as the gear k, so that every time one of the four arms Zpasses through the notch m the barrel makes one-eighth of a revolution.The bar M and the spider L thus form an escapement.

To the reproducer-arm Z I attach an extension N by any convenient means,as by the cap-screw n, Fig. 2, said extension consisting of a rod orwire having at its front end aloop a, and a lever O, pivoted at 0 on thebase g of the frame G, extends up through said loop a and is swungalternately in one and the other direction by the operative and returnmovements of the reproducer. The lever O swings between two studs PP,which are adjustable in the horizontal slot m of the escapement-bar M,each stud consisting, Fig. 11, of a pin 9, arranged in said slot andhaving a flange go between its ends and a nut 10 also provided with aflange 9 so that when the nut is turned on the threaded front endportion of said pin the bar M is pinched between the two flanges and thepin is prevented from moving on said bar. The part of the pin p withinthe slot m is preferably rectangular and fills said slot vertically toprevent said pin from turning in said slot. The extension N is bentdownward between its ends to form a horizontal bearing 12 upon a rest 70of the barrel K when said rest is in a vertical position, Fig. 8, and atthe ends of the bearing n are inclines 12 72 to insure the lifting andlowering of said extension without jar by the rests.

When the studs P P are properly adjusted and the moving diaphragm hasreached the end of the record, the lever O strikes the stud P and movesthe escapement-bar to the right, allowing one arm of the spider orscape-wheel L to pass through the notch m and the barrel turns enough tobring a rest 76 vertically under the extension N, raising thereproducer-arm 5 and lifting the nutb out of the screw a whereupon thespring-E instantly draws the reproducer-carrier back to thestarting-point, and at the same time the lever O, striking the stud P,throws the bar M to the left and allows another eighth of a revolutionof the barrel, letting the reproducer-arm I; fall and said nut 6 againto engage said screw a I claim as my invention 1. The combination of abarrel having rests or parallel straight edges arranged at equal angulardistances from each other, means of turning said barrel on its axis, ascape-wheel driven by said barrel and adapted to permit at eachoperation of said wheel the turning of said barrel an angular distancemeasuring onehalf of the angular distance between adjacent rests, arelease or escape piece, connecting means arranged to be moved by theoperative movement of the reproducer-arm of a talkingmachine, to releasesaid wheel and to efi'ect the movement of said barrel and the raising ofsaid arm, with said arm and means for producing said operative movementthereof.

2. The combination of a barrel having rests or parallel straight edgesarranged at equal angular distances from each other, means of turningsaid barrelon its axis, a scape-wheel driven by said barrel and adaptedto permit at each operation of said wheel the turning of said barrel anangular distance measuring onehalf of the angular distance betweenadjacent rests, a release or escape piece, connecting means arranged tobe moved by the return movement of the reproducer-arm of atalkingmachine, to release said wheel and to permit the movement of saidbarrel and the lowering of said arm, with said arm and means forproducing said return movement thereof.

3. The combination of a barrel having rests or parallel straight edgesarranged at equal angular distances from each other, means of turningsaid barrel on its axis, a scape-wheel driven by said barrel and adaptedto permit at each operation of said wheel the turning of said barrel anangular distance measuring one-half of the angular distance betweenadjacent rests, a release or escape piece, a lever arranged to be movedby the operative movement of the reproducer-arm of a talking-machine, torelease said wheel and to effect the movement of said barrel and theraising of said arm.

4. The combin ation of a barrel having rests or parallel straight edgesarranged at equal angular distances from each other, means of turningsaid barrel on its axis, a scape-wheel driven by said barrel and adaptedto permit at each operation of said wheel the turning of said barrel anangular distance measuring onehalf of the angular dlstance between adacent rests, a release or escape piece, a lever arranged to' be moved bythe return movementbarrel, a scape-wheel, an escapement-piece,

SAMUEL KERSHAW.

Witnesses:

ALBERT M. MOORE, LUDGER A. NIooL.

